Forgiving Evil
by SlayrGrl55
Summary: post season 6: Spike & Willow return, looking for forgiveness... will the Scoobies be able to? BS... last chapter posted!
1. Before Sunrise

Title: Forgiving Evil

Chapter 1/12: Before Sunrise

Author: Anna

Feedback: is greatly appreciated

Note: This takes place after season six. I wrote it last summer, but abandoned the story after I ran into some writer's block. I'm working on slight revisions, but basically the story's been completed. It's very fluffy, but hey, happiness is good :)

Buffy woke up just before sunrise when she felt her spider-sense tingle in a familiar way. 'Spike' she thought, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Lately, Buffy had done a lot of thinking when it came to her relationship with the blonde vampire. They had both made some big mistakes last year and it had all come to a climax in the bathroom that horrible night. She knew he'd never hurt her intentionally and she knew, just from the look in his eyes, that he was sorry. But he was gone now, and she missed him. Even when she was angry with him, she took comfort in the fact that he would always be there, within her reach. Now she didn't even know if he was ever coming back.

          Unable to fall asleep again, she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She showered an towel dried her hair, then dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen for an early breakfast. Spotting her new coffee maker, which had been on sale, she hummed to a tune in her head while she made herself a cup. She also spotted last night's dishes, but quickly turned and pretended that she didn't. Dishes, what dishes? Yes, denial and procrastination were her friend.

          When her coffee was made she decided to watch the sunrise. As she walked out the front door, she stepped on two white envelopes. She bent down to retrieve the mysterious letters and nudged the door closed with her hip, and it closed far enough to satisfy her.

          She tucked the one labeled 'Dawn' in her pocket and sat down on the steps to open the one addressed to her. After she gently tore open the seal, she pulled out a letter. As she began to read she dropped the coffee mug and it shattered as it tumbled down the steps and hit the cement.

_Dear Buffy,_

_          If you're reading this, then you've obviously found my letter. I hope you're not preparing to tear it or burn it, although I'd understand if you did. But please hear me out. I'm sorry. I know that doesn't change anything, but I need you to know that. I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to hurt you and I want you to know that if I've done anything good in the past two years, it was because of my love for you._

_          I just got back and I have a few loose ends to tie up, but I thought these letters would… prepare you. I'll be back on Friday. If you want to talk things over, meet me at the Bronze at 9pm. I hope you'll come. I've missed you._

_                                                                       Love Always,_

                                                                   Spike 

          By the time she had read the entire letter, there were silent tears running down her face. The outside world dimmed and she retreated into her thoughts as she stared blankly ahead, and that's exactly how Dawn found her an hour later.

          Dawn had woken up when she heard Buffy showering, but stayed in bed as a futile attempt to fall back asleep. Half an hour later she was getting restless so she decided to get up. As she brushed her teeth she noticed the quiet that was always present in the house. With Willow and Tara gone the house felt empty.

          She dressed and headed downstairs, expecting to see Buffy sitting in the kitchen. When she didn't find her big sister, she called out but received no answer. Suddenly Dawn noticed that front door slightly ajar and rushed outside, sensing something was wrong. She was relieved to see Buffy sitting on the front steps, but noticed her catatonic state and became worried again.

          "Buffy? Oh my god, Buffy! Are you okay? What happened?" When she received no reaction she became frustrated and slapped her across the face.

          Buffy jumped back. "Dawn? What are you doing up so early?" she asked.

          "Why were you all non-reaction-y?"

          Buffy sighed and pulled Dawn's letter out of her pocket. Silently she handed it to her. As Dawn tore open the envelope and quickly read the letter, Buffy noticed all the emotions that went across her face. Before Buffy could sort out her sister's feelings, Dawn looked up.

          "So what are we going to do?" she asked nervously.

          "I honestly don't know, Dawnie." She reached out and tucked a piece of Dawn's hair behind her ear. "I think he's truly sorry and I think we should give him a chance, so I'll meet him at the Bronze on Friday like he asked-"

          "Really?" Dawn asked happily, but quickly changed her expression to one of indifference. "I mean, that's cool. He asked me to go to his crypt before sunset. I guess I'll go. I might get to slay some stuff on the way home."

          Buffy hid a smile at Dawn's act. Honestly, she was trying to contain her own excitement. As she cleaned up the spilled and broken cup of coffee, Dawn began rambling.

          "So what will we do until Friday? Do you think he'll come around? No, wait. That wouldn't make sense… do you think he'll lurk? He always used to do that. It was kinda comforting… ya know, in the creepy way. Sow hat do you think he'll say? The standard apology or full on his knees begging? 'Cause that would be cool." Suddenly she became worried. "What if he's just stopping by to say a proper good-bye and then he's gonna leave again? Oh, what if-"

          "Dawn," Buffy said calmly, "you're rambling. It's not good. Please stop."

          Dawn took a long, deep breath. "Okay, so what do we do now?" she asked slowly.

          "Well," Buffy answered, "we train." Dawn's face brightened considerably.

Author's Note: So, what do you think?


	2. Catching Up With Clem

Title: Forgiving Evil 

Chapter: 2/12: Catching Up With Clem

(see chapter one for more detail)

          Spike cautiously approached the Summer's home an gently placed two white envelopes on the welcome mat. With a quick glance at Buffy's bedroom window, he hopped back on his motorcycle and drove off towards his crypt, outrunning the sunrise.

          Leaving his bike next to his crypt, Spike dashed into the crypt. He dropped his duffel bag onto the ground and promptly noticed the junk food and garbage strewn across the crypt floor in a trail that led to a sleeping Clem on the couch. Clem awoke to the sound of Spike's laughter.

          "Hello, mate" Spike greeted him.

          "Spike! You're back! Did you get the chip out? You seem different. Wait, don't tell me. I can guess…" Clem stroked his chin as he circled Spike. After a few seconds his eyes went wide. "A soul? How the heck did you get your undead hands on a soul?"

          "Well, it's a long story. It started when I left Sunnyhell…"

          An hour later Spike finished up his story and stood up to stretch. As he sat back down he reached into his duffel bag and handed Clem a small carved wooden statue.

          "Here. I saw this while I was in Africa and I thought of you. In, uh, exchange for crypt-sitting." Spike awkwardly awaited Clem's reaction.

          "Wow. Thanks, buddy." Clem inspected the gift as if it were precious. Spike explained that it was the God of Friendship; worshipped by some tribe he had passed in his travels.

          When Spike's story was complete, Clem returned the favor and told Spike everything he had missed after he left. Spike stayed stationary, completely engrossed in the story. As Clem spoke, Spike chided himself for leaving at such a bad time. Tara, poor Tara. Maybe he could have done something… anything… to help her. If he had only been here.

          "How are the Slayer and the Nibblet doing?" He asked quietly.

          "Oh, they've stopped by a few times. Buffy comes and asks if I've heard from you, if I know when you're coming back, things like that. Dawn comes by and watches movies with me. It was only yesterday that we had our bimonthly food tasting contest. This month's food is Doritos. We had the Ranch Cooler and-"

          A kitten crawled out of Spike's duffel bag and scampered across the floor.

"Uhuh, come here you rascal." Spike picked up the kitten and gently placed him back in the bag. "You're gonna pay off a few of my poker debts."

          Clem waved and smiled at the cute kitten while Spike gave him a funny look. "Uh, you know what? I think I'm gonna go pay off those debts right now. I'll take the sewers and I'll be back in a few hours."

          That night, after all poker debts had been repaid, Spike patrolled. After a quiet summer he needed a good spot of violence. He dusted a few vamps and found himself near a new grave. The tombstone was beautiful, with a stone angel resting on top. Immediately he knew whose grave it was.

          He fell to his knees and ran his fingers over the carved writing.

Tara Maclay 

_1981 – 2002_

_Her magic touched us all_

_Her love will help one heal_

She deserved more than she had 

          "Oh god, Tara. You didn't deserve this." As he cried he silently called to Joyce, asking her to be good to Tara, but he knew she would anyway. As he stood up and walked away, he wondered if he would join them when his time came.


	3. Master Of Forgiveness

Title: Forgiving Evil

Chapter Three: Master Of Forgiveness

(see chapter one for more detail)

          Dawn hurried home from her job at the Magic Box on Friday afternoon and ran straight to her room. She changed into her 'slaying clothes' and quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail. After expertly hiding a few stakes on her body, she grabbed her keys and ran back out the front door. As she reached the cemetery the sun was setting and she cursed herself for being so slow. With the crypt in view she sped up and came to an abrupt stop at the door. Politely, she knocked and entered when she heard a British voice invite her in.

          "Hey Nibblet." He said without turning around to see her.

          "Cool. How'd you know it was me?" she asked.

          "Well, apart from the fact that I invited you here, I can smell you." He turned around to face her and she noticed the tears in his eyes that he tried to hide.

          "That's really creepy, Spike." She said as she withheld her own tears. After a moment of silence she dropped the act and ran into his arms, hugging him tightly. He returned the embrace, letting the tears come.

          "I missed you, Platelet." He said.

          "I missed you, too." She pulled back to look at him. "Never leave again, you hear me? Never."

          He chuckled and sat down on the couch. "We'll have to ask your sister about that one."

          Dawn nodded in a silent agreement and took a seat next to him on the couch. "So, where've you been all summer?"

          "Did some soul searching." He laughed and she looked at him in confusion. "Okay," he took a deep, unneeded breath, "After that night in the bathroom with your sister, I realized what a monster I was. I ran out, came back to my crypt, and I convinced myself that it was the chip making me love her. I told myself that nothing was right, and that it was all because of the chip."

          "So you got the chip out?" she asked, unafraid.

          "No. I thought I was going to, but it turned out a little differently. I went to Africa and sought out this demon that grants your heart's desire, one wish. So I'm in this cave with him and he tells me I have to pass all these bloody trials. I say bring it on, right? Next thing I know there are flaming fists and bug and…" Dawn's nose scrunched up in disgust "…other things. When it was all finished, I was still standing, figuratively speaking, and I got my wish. I asked that he make me what I was, give me what I want, so Buffy can get what she deserves. Then he stuck his hand in my chest and I lit up like a bleedin' firefly and I got-"

          "Your soul."

          "Yup. That's about it."

          "That's so awesome! I knew you wouldn't leave for no reason, and now I get why you didn't say good-bye. 'Cause you got your soul! Ahh! You are so much cooler than Angel." She smiled and hugged her friend.

          "Nibblet, I want you to promise me something."

          "Sure, what is it?"

          "Promise me you won't tell Buffy about the soul. If I'm gonna fix things with her, I don't want it to be about that. I want it to be real."

          "No prob sugarbob." Dawn answered.

          "Sugarbob?" he asked.

          "It's… a thing. Don't ask."

          "Okay. Well, I have something for you." He reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a necklace and a box. He handed her the necklace. "I got the necklace in Nigeria. Nothin' special." He held up the box. "Now this is something special."

          Dawn took the small wooden box in her hands, and she felt a sense of power. She ran her fingers over the carved words and pictures, not understanding what they all meant. But it was really pretty.

          Spike explained, "I was passing through a small village in… I don't even know where… and I heard about this legend that circulated the area. It was about a God who was sentenced to live in our world because of her cruelty. She shared her body with her alter ego, a man. This God searched for a way back to her world, but could not accomplish it without the Key. This tribe hoped to capture the key and keep it in this special box, where the God could not find it."

          "Wow." The box fascinated Dawn. "All this for little old me? Cool! Thanks Spike."

          Spike was relieved when she liked his presents. He could only hope that Buffy would be so understanding. When Dawn finally looked up from her box she saw the look on Spike's face.

          "Spike, don't worry about Buffy. She's really not mad at you, just really confused. Just tell her what you told me and I'm sure she'll forgive you."

          "Does that mean you forgive me?"

          "Yup. All hail Dawn, Master of Forgiveness."

          For the next hour they talked about Tara's death, Willow's descent into black magic and Xander's rescue. Spike still couldn't believe it was the Whelp who saved the day. Dawn looked at her watch and realized it was already eight o'clock.

          "Spike, I gotta go. I don't want Buffy to worry." Spike offered to walk her home, but she declined. She liked the feel of power when she walked through the cemetery alone… and armed. As she left Spike watched her go, but when she was out of sight he went back into the crypt. He only had a little while to practice begging for forgiveness.

Author's Note: c'mon… you know you wanna review…


	4. I'd Rather Be In Love

Chapter 4/12: I'd Rather Be In Love 

(see chapter one for more detail)

          Dawn arrived home and headed straight for Buffy's bedroom. She cracked open the door and peek in. She saw a huge pile of clothes on the bed and Buffy standing in front of the mirror playing with her hair.

          "A-ha!" Dawn exclaimed as she threw the door open. "You want to look good for Spike tonight 'cause you want him!"

          Buffy turned and glared at her younger sister. "I don't want him… well, maybe, this isn't a date! Just a friendly gathering of two people… or one persona nd a vampire… who haven't talked in a few months and need to catch up. Purely platonic. Nothing more." Buffy sat down on the edge of the bed to slip on her black strappy heels to match her black strappy dress.

          "Are you trying to convince me or yourself? Because if you're trying to convince me, then you're doing a terrible job." Dawn giggled as she watched her sister primp her hair.

          "So what did you two talk about?" Buffy tried to change the subject.

          "He told me what he did all summer and he gave me this African necklace and this really cool box… I'll show it to you later. He'll explain everything to you. Just.. give him a chance, okay? Don't stake him." Dawn replied.

          "I am giving him a chance. That's what tonight is." She stated.

          Minutes later, Buffy was on her way to the Bronze. She entered and immediately recognized the music form the stage. Michelle Branch was playing tonight. She thought back to the night she and Spike has kissed under the stairs and secretly hoped that tonight would turn out that good, if not better.

          She sat down an empty table and searched around for Spike. After a few minutes she thought he might have ditched her, but she quickly dismissed the idea. "After all, this was his idea." Suddenly she saw a flash of blonde and noticed that Spike had entered the club.  They made eye contact from across the room and as he crossed the dance floor he never looked away.

          "Buffy." He greeted and sat down across from her.

          "Spike." She returned.

          "Uh, can I get you a drink?"

          "Sure. A, uh, Shirley Temple. Thanks."

          Spike ordered the drinks and when the waitress brought them to the table, they both murmured polite thanks. After a few minutes of uneasy silence, Spike spoke up.

          "I heard about Tara and Willow. How are you?"

          "I'm… I'm okay. I'm dealing. I miss Tara, though. She was easy to talk to. She was a good person. And Dawn's doing good, too. She patrols with me now. But… it's not the same without you." She looked up to meet his gaze. "Where were you, Spike?"

          "Africa, pet. I went to Africa." He waited for a reaction, but she motioned for him to continue. "I needed to find myself. I needed to sort things out. I was in a bad place and I needed to get away from things."

She nodded in understanding. "I get that."

"I brought you something. Close your eyes." He was surprised when she did close her eyes, and even more surprised when he took her hand and she didn't flinch. He took the bracelet from his pocket and placed it in her palm. "Okay, open up."

She slowly opened her eyes, sad at the loss of contact when he pulled away. It just felt to good to feel him again. She looked down at the gift in her hands and gasped. "Wow. It's so beautiful. What, what is it?"

"Well, luv, it's a bracelet. See, you wear it on your wrist…"

She playfully hit him on the arm. "I know that. Now tell me what it means." She giggled and he smiled back.

"The charms are ankhs. The ankh is an Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic that means life. Since you've died twice, its kind of like you've had three lives…" he trailed off telling himself that it was a stupid gift.

"Thank you." She said quietly. "It's very thoughtful. Uh, can you… put it on my wrist?"

She extended her arm and he gently clasped the jewelry around her wrist. She thanked him again. There was another span of silence, but slightly more comfortable than the last one. Buffy was willing herself to speak, but her mouth just didn't seem to move. Finally, it did.

"I forgive you." This surprised him, but she continued. "I know we should talk things over, but there's really nothing to talk about. Last year was full of mistakes. Both of us screwed up. I treated you just as bad as you treated me, and things just kind of came to a climax in the bathroom. But, I think we should make a fresh start. Starting now. Can we be friends? Can we forget last year?"

"That sounds wonderful, pet." Spike couldn't keep the smile off of his face.

I cannot help it, couldn't stop it if I tried. The same old heartbeat fills the emptiness I have inside. And I've heard that you can't fight love, so I won't complain.

          "You know, Spike, we did a lot of things last year but we never danced." Buffy looked longingly to the dance floor. "You game?"

          "I'm always game, Goldilocks." He took her hand and pulled her to the center of the dance floor. She put her arms around his neck and he put his around her waist. They fit perfectly together.

          _'Cause when there's you, I feel whole. And there's no better feeling in the world. And without you, I'm alone. And I'd rather be in love… with you._

          "I have to tell you something, but I don't want you to take it the wrong way." Buffy whispered.

          _Turn out the lights now, to see is to believe. I just want you near me. I just want you here with me. And I'd give up everything only for you. It's the least that I could do._

          "You can tell me anything, Buffy." Spike replied. His grip around her waist was loose. He didn't want to hold her too tight because, honestly, he was afraid to touch her.

          _'Cause when there's you, I feel whole. And there's no better feeling in the world. And without you, I'm alone. And I'd rather be in love... with you._

          "I love you." She said. His grip tightened around her, but only be mere centimeters. He looked down at her questioningly and she rushed to explain.

          _And I feel you holding me. Why are we afraid to be in love? To be loved. I can't explain. I know its tough to be loved. And I feel you holding me._

          "As a friend. I love you as a friend. I can talk to you and you understand me better than anyone. And when you left it was horrible. I felt like a piece of me was missing." She rested her head on his shoulder. "Please don't ever leave again."

          _And where there's you, I feel whole. And there's no better feeling in the world. And without you, I'm alone._

          He expected to feel disappointed, but this might have been the happiest moment of his entire existence. Even if it was a platonic love, Buffy still loved him. It was more than he could ever hope for.

          _And I'd rather be in love._

          "But… you love me?" he asked again.

          _Yes I'd rather be in love._

          "Yes, Spike, I love you."

          _Oh, I'd rather be in love with you._

          "I love you too, Buffy."


	5. Platonic or Potential?

Chapter Five: Platonic or Potential?

(see chapter one for more detail)

          After their dance, Buffy and Spike became more comfortable with each other. The air was clear and they were friends, and now they could just have fun. They bickered and teased each other all night, but Spike was astonished when Buffy took his hand during their walk back to her house. As they walked up the front steps Buffy turned to look at Spike.

          "I'm assuming you'll want your coat back."

          Spike was shocked again. "You still have it? Really?" She nodded, smiling. "I thought you'd burn it. Or Harris would burn it. I can't believe you kept it all this time."

          With a grin on her face she entered the house and walked straight to the closet in the hallway. She opened it and dug around for a few seconds before she triumphantly pulled out a black leather duster.

          She handed it to him and as he slid it on, she couldn't help but stare. Spike was attractive, obviously, but with the leather duster… he was freakin' hot.

          'Whoa, Buffy. Bad thoughts. You're his friend. Calm down. No hot Spike thoughts…'

          Snapping herself out of it, she dragged her gaze from the duster and back up to his face. If he noticed her checking him out, he didn't show it.

          "I'd better be going, luv. The sun'll be up in a few hours."

          Before Buffy could stop herself she placed a kiss on his cheek. 'Dammit, Buffy! You're not supposed to be kissing him!' she thought.

          "Goodnight Spike."

          He nodded his goodnight and she watched as he walked out the door, down the steps, to the sidewalk, and down the block. He never turned around to look at her, though, because if he did she would have seen him grinning like an idiot.

Later at Spike's crypt… 

          "I couldn't believe it! She said she loved me! Maybe I'm dreaming." Spike paced back and forth across the upper part of his crypt while Clem sat in front of the television. "Clem, do you think I'm dreaming? Oh! Pinch me, so I'll know if I'm awake or not."

          Clem reached out and pinched Spike's arm.

          "Blood hell! Not so hard… hey! I'm not dreaming!"

          Clem sighed and looked back to the television.

          "She loves me! The bloody slayer loves me!" Spike shouted.

          "Yea, I heard you the first nineteen times…"

Back at the Summer's residence…

          "So you told him you love him? Oh my God, that's so romantic. With the music and the dancing and the love… aaww!" Dawn squealed.

          Buffy was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. A huge dreamy smile was plastered on her face.

          "I told him I loved him as a _friend_, Dawnie."

          "Wimp."

          "Freak."

          "Chicken."

          "Dawn!"

          "Okay, okay. I'm shutting up." Dawn made a zipper motion across her lips. She stayed silent for a few seconds and then, "So when are you gonna tell him you love him in the romantic way?"

TBC

Author's Note: Sorry for the short-ness of this chapter. The next will be chock full of stuff. There will be a social worker, a visit from Xander and much Spuffiness!


	6. Company?

Title: Forgiving Evil

Chapter 6/12: Company?

(see chapter one for more detail)

          Buffy woke up the next morning from a wonderful dream of her and Spike. She showered and dressed and met Dawn in the kitchen for breakfast.

          "So, how are you gonna explain to everyone about Spike being back?" Dawn questioned her sister. She poured herself a glass of orange juice as Buffy sat down across from her.

          Buffy sighed. "I don't know. I think I'll wait to get each of them alone and explain to them that what happened in the past is just that; it's the past. And Spike's changed and they are just going to have to accept that. Xander's gonna be at the Magic Box today, helping Giles put together shelves. I'll talk to them then."

          "But Buffy, don't you have a meeting with Social Services today? Remember Saturday is Social Services day? I cleaned my room and everything." Dawn stood up and put her cup in the sink and returned the orange juice container to its spot in the fridge. 

          "Dammit!" Buffy exclaimed. "I completely forgot." She checked the calendar. "Okay, there's a person coming at two o'clock. I have plenty of time to tidy up and look presentable. Oh, I should probably clean up Willow's room, too. I know she's still in England, but if I have to give a tour of the house…" Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder and rain came pouring down outside. 

          Dawn looked over to Buffy. "Is that a bad omen?"

1:50 PM at the Summer's residence…

          Buffy walked down the stairs as she went over her imaginary checklist. "Dawn's training at the Magic Box. Her room is clean. My room is clean. Willow's room is clean. Dishes are done. Living room is clean." She looked down at her outfit: a long denim skirt and a peasant top. "I don't look like a slut. Check."

          As she reached the bottom step she heard the backdoor open in the kitchen and she turned to see Spike folding up his blanket. 

          She was surprised to see him, but nonetheless pleased. "Spike, what are you doing here? Up for another afternoon stroll?" she asked with a smirk.

          "Well, the storm blocks out most of the sun and I figured I'd come over for a quick visit and see how you and the Nibblet are doing." He answered.

          Then they heard the knock on the door. "Company?" Spike said as he placed his blanket on the counter.

          "Social Services. You can stay, but no talk of crypts or demons. If they ask, you live in an apartment a few blocks away, Dawn's helping out at the Magic Box and Willow's on vacation in England." Buffy prompted Spike as she went to answer the door.

          "Hello, Buffy Summers, I presume." Buffy opened the door to find a middle-aged woman much like Mrs. Chroeger had looked. The lady introduced herself as Maria Stevens. She took a seat on the couch and Buffy fled to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. She returned with Spike in tow. She took a seat in the chair and Spike stood behind her.

          "This is my friend William." Buffy motioned towards Spike. "He arrived just a few minutes ago, I hope it's okay if he's here."

          "Oh, its fine. It'll help me to better understand Dawn's surroundings. Let's start with a few questions." She paused to take out a pen and paper. "Who lives in the house?"

          "Myself, Dawn and my friend Willow. She's in England right now, but she'll be home in a few weeks." Buffy answered.

          "I was to understand that there was another woman living here." 

          Buffy's expression darkened and she tried to answer but all she could do was stutter. Spike came to the rescue. "Yes, Willow's girlfriend Tara lived here until last May when she was killed."

          "Oh dear, I am so sorry. What happened to her?" Maria inquired. 

          Spike answered before Buffy could. "An insane man with a gun tried to shoot Buffy and her friend Xander in the backyard but his shots missed and went through the bedroom window upstairs. Tara and Willow were there. Tara was killed instantly and Willow… well, it was bad. Dawn was close to Tara, as we all were, and it's been had without her." Buffy tried her best not to cry and Spike put a hand on her shoulder.

          Maria wrote something down in her notebook and continued with the questions. "What has Dawn been doing with herself all summer?"

          "She's been working out a lot. I do kick boxing and she trains with me now. Our friend, Mr. Rupert Giles who owns the Magic Box downtown, has a training room that we use. She's there right now actually." Buffy hoped that Maria wouldn't push the topic, but Buffy's answer seemed to be sufficient.

          There were a few more questions about chores and daily activities, Dawn's friends and Buffy's friends. Then Maria asked for a tour of the house.

          "This is Dawn's room. My room is down the hall and Willow's room is right over there." They walked down the hallway and Maria opened the door to the bathroom. She walked around inspecting it. "What happened to that shelf over there? It looks like something was thrown into it." Maria pointed to the shelf near the window that Buffy had thrown Spike into. 

          Buffy had cleaned it up but never got around to fixing the shelf. Damn, what was she gonna say?

          She was surprised to hear Spike answer. "Oh, that was me. I was in here and I tripped over the corner of the counter and like the clumsy person I am, managed to knock over the shelf. I insisted that Buffy let me fix it, I haven't gotten around to it yet."

          Spike's answer seemed to satisfy Maria and they moved on to other rooms. The rest of the day went much the same as they lied to cover up strange things in the house such as the trunk of weapons, which she explained were antiques from her grandfather.

          It was already five o'clock when Maria left. Buffy waved to her from the door and then collapsed on the couch. 

          "That was exhausting!" she complained. Spike sat down next to her and began to massage her back. "When did you learn to do that?" she asked, surprised that Spike could relieve all her tension with just his hands. 

          "I've been around for 128 years, pet. I've learned some stuff." He chuckled under his breath and couldn't help but smile at the fact that she let him touch her. 

          When Spike finished the massage Buffy leaned back onto his chest and closed her eyes. "Hmm, you're a good pillow." She mumbled. 

          Suddenly the front door opened and a drenched Xander walked into the living room. "Hey Buff, what's up? Just stopped by to-" Xander noticed the two snuggled on the couch. "What the f-"


	7. The Storm

Title: Forgiving Evil

Chapter 7/12: The Storm

(see chapter one for more detail)

        Buffy and Spike jumped up from the couch when they heard Xander's curses. Buffy looked back and forth between Xander and Spike but had no idea what to say.

        "Buffy? What the hell is going on here?" Xander screamed. When Buffy couldn't answer he looked to Spike. "Why'd you come back Spike? Still looking to get in good with Buffy? To bang her one more time before you take off again?"

        "Look, Xander-" Spike began.

        "No! Don't even try to explain yourself. You don't rape someone and then come back and everything's fine! You don't deserve Buffy!" Xander took a menacing step towards Spike.

        "Funny you should say that actually…" Spike said but before he could finish the thought Xander had pinned him against the wall. 

        "Now you're gonna get what you deserve Spike." Xander reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a stake.

        "Xander! No!" Buffy cried.

        "Why not, Buffy? He's an evil soulless thing and he doesn't deserve to exist." Xander raised the stake.

        "He's not evil anymore. Xander, he can't fight back. Just let him go." Buffy pleaded. 

        Xander chose to not hear Buffy's desperate words as he aimed the stake at Spike. Buffy reacted in a split second and she did what she hoped she wouldn't have to. She punched Xander. Xander fell back to the ground and the stake rolled away from him.

        "Bloody hell!" Spike gasped. Then he looked at Buffy. She took a step back and raised her hand to her mouth. Her eyes were wide. Xander picked himself up off the floor and glared at Spike. 

        "Whatever. I'm outta here." He said as he stormed out the front door. Buffy's knees went weak and she fell to the floor. 

        "Oh God. What did I do? I hit him. I didn't want to. Oh God." She mumbled. Spike kneeled down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. Buffy's sobs grew louder as the thunder roared outside.

        Minutes later, her sobs had died down and Spike realized she had fallen asleep. He picked her up and carried her upstairs to her bedroom. He laid her down on her bed and tucked her in beneath the blankets. He closed the window to keep out the rain and made his way back downstairs. As he reached the bottom step Dawn walked through the front door.

        "Hey Platelet." He greeted her. 

"Hey Spike." She closed her umbrella and took off her coat. "What are you doing here? Where's Buffy?" she questioned.

        "I stopped by right before Social Services showed up. I hung around and helped Buffy answer questions. Afterwards, Buffy and me were sitting on the couch when Xander walked in and caught us red handed, so to speak. He was about to stake me when Buffy punched him. He stormed out and Buffy started crying. She fell asleep and I brought her upstairs. I was just leaving." She followed him into the kitchen as he went to get his blanket. There was another loud clap of thunder and Dawn jumped.

        "Spike, please stay. If Buffy's asleep I don't wanna be here alone. Thunder storms kinda freak me out." Dawn told him.

        Spike was touched. "Sure, I'll stay. Oh! Maybe we can make some hot cocoa…do you have any of those little marshmallows?"


	8. The Return

Title: Forgiving Evil

Chapter 8/12: The Return

(see chapter one for more details)

        The ringing of the phone woke Dawn from her peaceful slumber on the living room couch. She was a little disoriented as she turned to see that she had been sleeping on Spike's shoulder and she suddenly remembered the previous night. She got up and walked across the room. As she was about to reach for the phone it stopped ringing. She shrugged and went back to Spike, nudging him to wake him up. 

        "No, not the midget! He needs his tricycle or else he can't go to the tea party!" Spike mumbled, still unconscious. Dawn giggled and shook him a bit harder. He didn't budge. 

        'God, he sleeps through anything!' she thought to herself. She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Spike, its morning and you need to wake up 'cause it won't be good if Xander comes back and finds you asleep on our couch." Spike still didn't respond. Dawn signed heavily. "Spike! I'm pregnant with Xander's child!" she yelled into his ear.

        Spike's eyes shot open and he was off the couch in an instant. Dawn was in a fit of giggles as Buffy descended the stairs.

        "Dawn? What are you doing up this early and what are you laughing at?" Buffy turned at the bottom of the steps and noticed Spike. "Hey, what are you still doing here? I thought you would have got out of dodge post-haste after last night. And by the way, thanks." She placed a kiss on his cheek and then went to the hall closet for her coat. "Anya just called. Scooby meeting in fifteen minutes at the Magic Box. Xander will not be attending so that leaves us…do you want to come Spike?"

        Spike was taken off guard but agreed nonetheless. Dawn dressed and Spike grabbed his blanket. They headed out to the car and ducked inside to escape the rain that was still coming down in sheets.  Spike removed his blanket when he realized it was still incredibly dark out, due to the storm. They were half way to their destination when Spike spoke up from the back seat.

        "Buffy, luv, when did you learn to drive?" he asked. Buffy chuckled and Dawn turned around to answer him. "She took Driver's Ed this summer and, with my help, passed with flying colors!" Dawn smiled triumphantly as Buffy made a 'pfft' noise.

        They arrived at the Magic Box and ran inside. Spike closed the door behind him and removed his soaked duster. Following suite, Dawn and Buffy also removed their wet jackets. "Next time, we bring umbrellas and raincoats." Dawn stated as she took a seat at the new round table. Spike took a look around and couldn't help but notice how much better the shop looked than he would have thought. Buffy took a seat by Dawn and Spike leaned against the railing by the stairs.

Anya appeared from the stock room carrying a box. She gently placed it on the table in front of the sisters and started emptying it while she spoke. "I've been hearing gossip, of the demon variety of course, that this storm isn't natural. They have this theory that the storm is a warning."

"What kind of warning? Like a 'get out of town' warning for the demons?" Dawn asked.

"Precisely." Anya stated. Spike stayed silent as they talked amongst themselves. "I think it means the return of an old evil…"

As Anya spoke she turned to place some inventory on a shelf, but when she caught sight of Spike, she stopped.

Noticing that conversation had stopped, Spike looked up.

"How?" Anya asked.

"How what, pet?" He asked warily. 'Bloody hell, she can sense the soul! Stay calm, stay calm stay calm…'

"How did you do it? Is that why you left? To get it?" She persisted.

"Spike?" Buffy questioned as she rose from her seat.

He looked to Dawn.

"Demon crazy talk?" Dawn supplied.

"Oh my God, I can see you!" Anya exclaimed, and in a move that through Spike off guard, she threw her arms around him and hugged him. "Congratulations on your new soul, Spike!"

Dawn watched Buffy's face carefully, gauging her reaction.

"Spike," she said tentatively, "is it true? You really have a soul?"

"Yes, luv. That's why I went to Africa."

There was silence for a few moments. Dawn looked from Buffy and then to Spike. She also noticed that Anya looked kind of guilty. She hadn't meant to spill the secret.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Buffy whispered.

In a second he was by her side. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to feel an obligation to me. I wanted out relationship to be about us, not the soul. I'm sorry, I should have told you."

"No, no. It's okay. I get why you didn't tell me." She smiled. "I'm so happy for you."

"I'm really sorry to break up the special moment, but I think we should get back on track with the demony sorm warning thingy." Anya stated.

"So what so we think it's a warning against?" Dawn asked. "We don't know how to prepare unless we know what's coming…or what's already here."

"Well," Anya hesitated, "As I said, I've heard that a storm like this one means the return of an old evil. Not old as in age, but old as in we've fought them before."

They all took a minute to process this information. "So we're fighting something we already defeated? That makes no sense." Dawn replied. The three girls talked back and forth and didn't seem to notice that the storm had come to a halt outside. The clouds moved aside and the rain had stopped, revealing a beautiful California day. They also didn't notice the annoying sound of the bell above the door ring.

"Um, ladies, I believe we don't need to worry about preparing." He said above their voices. Buffy turned to him with a fearful expression. 

"What do you mean? It's…" Buffy began.

"…Already here." Spike finished.

The three girls turned to face what Spike was looking at and three distinct gasps were heard above the silence of shock. In the doorway of the Magic Shop stood modest little Willow Rosenberg. 

"Hi guys."


	9. Magic Free And Very Good

Title: Forgiving Evil

Chapter 9/12: Magic Free and Very Good

(see chapter one for more detail)

        Buffy hesitated a split second before running to Willow and pulling her into a tight hug. They began to cry and Anya slowly walked up to the two friends. "Willow! You're back! And magic free! That's very good."

        With that, Anya put her arms around Buffy and Willow as they shared a group hug. It was a few minutes before Buffy and Willow let go and Anya went back to unpacking new merchandise. Dawn stayed quietly in her spot next to Spike. Willow scanned the room, probably looking for Xander, and her eyes settled on Dawn. 

        "Dawnie." Tears were running down her guilty face again. "I'm so sorry. I-I don't know what to do to make this better." Willow took a small step towards Dawn. "Do you-can you ever forgive me?" 

        It was quiet for a long thirty seconds before Dawn ran into Willow's waiting arms and cried. All Willow could do was mumble apologies as she stroked Dawn's hair. It was a long morning at the Magic Box as Willow told them how Giles had taken her to England and the same Coven that had given him their power took Willow in. They stripped her of her powers and helped her with her grief. When they decided she was ready to face Sunnydale, Giles brought her back. Giles was waiting outside in the car, hoping to escape from any post-Evil-Willow fights. He decided it was safe to come in as Willow was finishing her story.

        Willow took turns talking to everyone, apologizing and, well, apologizing. Buffy filled her in on the summer's events and the more recent happenings with Spike. Willow gave Buffy her support in the whole matter.

        "But now, I just want to try to get back to normal. Whatever that is. I learned that I can't change the past and I can't dwell on it either. I have to move on. Tara would have wanted me to." Buffy was so happy to see Willow's resolve face firmly in place.

        By the time they left the Magic Box it was already after dark. Buffy dropped Spike off by the cemetery gates and then drove home with Dawn and Willow. She wanted to get back to normal, too.

        They reached the Summers' home and each grabbed a bag from the trunk of the car. Buffy dropped her bag as she took out her keys and unlocked the door. She swung it open and held it for Willow and Dawn. 

        She followed into the house behind them and practically ran into Dawn. "Hey, why'd you stop?" she asked. Then she saw what…uh, who they were looking at. Sitting on the couch was a mightily brassed off Xander who looked on in shock at the redhead.

        "Hey, Xand. How was your summer?"


	10. Xander's Revelation

Title: Forgiving Evil

Chapter 10/12: Xander's Revelation

(see chapter one for more detail)

          "Willow? You're back!" Xander smiled widely and grabbed Willow into a hug as tight as Buffy's was. He basically ignored the slayer and her sister as he led Willow to the couch. Buffy and Dawn got the hint and took Willow's bags up to her room.

          "Xander I missed you so much. And I'm so sorry for everything that happened last year. I almost killed you. But the world owes so much to you for stopping me in time. I owe you so much for stopping me in time. I love you." Willow said.

          The two old friends talked for an hour or so on the events of last spring and decided to try and forget it. Last year was a bad year for everyone and it was better forgotten. While on the topic, Willow decided to help out Buffy a bit.

          "Hey Xand, how are you able to forgive me?" Willow asked slyly. Xander looked taken back, but answered the question without hesitation.

          "Because I know you weren't in your right state of mind. You were angry and hurt and confused because you had lost someone you loved. And I love you. And everyone else loves you, too."

          "Then why can't you forgive Spike?" Willow said.

"He's a soulless…er, soulful, evil monster and he tried to rape Buffy." Xander argued.

          "Think about it Xander. Spike loved Buffy with his whole being. With the soul he supposedly didn't have. Just like I loved Tara. He slept with Anya and I abused the magicks. He raped Buffy out of hurt and confusion. I tried to end the world out of hurt and confusion. If you can forgive me you should at least try to forgive him. Xander, he's trying. He really is. The hardest thing is to face the people he's hurt. I know what he's going through."

          But Xander wasn't buying it. "He killed hundreds, maybe thousands of people."

          "So did Anya." Willow shot back.

          "He has a bad past, he's done some pretty evil stuff."

          "So has Giles." Willow thought of 'Ripper'

          "He tried to kill us!" Xander pleaded desperately.

          "So did Buffy!" Willow cringed a bit. "And so did I."  
          "He steals and lies." Xander stated, thinking he won.

          "So did Dawn." Willow was on a roll now. 

          "He left the one person he loved when she needed him most." Xander admitted.

          "So did you." Willow reached out and hugged Xander tightly. As she held him she kept talking. "We've all done some pretty bad stuff. And we've all been forgiven. Why should Spike be an exception to the rule? Please Xander, give him a chance. He deserves it. And when you two fight it tears Buffy apart."

          Willow stood up from the couch and looked down at Xander. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Get some sleep and think about what I said." Xander didn't answer as Willow disappeared upstairs. He waited a few minutes and then let himself out, locking the door behind him. 

          Upstairs, Willow found Buffy and Dawn sitting on her bed. She sat down with them and started to unpack her clothes and other belongings. 

          "So, did you have a good talk with Xander? Work stuff out." Dawn asked as she put one of Willow's shirts into a drawer.

          Willow couldn't help but smile. "Yea, I really did."

At Spike's Crypt…

          Spike sat in his chair and stared absently at a wall. His face was unreadable. A glass of brandy dangled from his left hand. Suddenly there was a knock on the crypt door. 'Who would be bloody knocking on my door?'

          "Come in." he called out. He wasn't too scared, he figured it wasn't something demony or it wouldn't have knocked. He turned as he heard the door open and close and expected to see Dawn or even Buffy standing there. Instead he saw Xander.

          "Bloody hell. What are you doing here? Come to kill me again?" Spike stood up and backed away. How was he going to defend himself against Xander?

          "I come in peace." Xander raised his hands to show he held no weapons. Spike relaxed only a tiny bit. Xander continued. "I talked to Willow tonight and she got me thinking. Everyone deserves a second chance. I'm not saying I forgive you or support this relationship you have with Buffy, but I might be open to it in the future. I gotta get used to this." 

          Spike nodded his head, a silent agreement. Xander turned to leave and paused. "And if you ever hurt Buffy again, I'll stake you myself." It sounded threatening but Spike could tell it was softer than Xander had wanted it to be. Xander left and Spike flopped back down in his chair. 

          "Bloody hell. This is too much." He gulped down the last of his drink.


	11. Jump To Conclusions Much?

Title: Forgiving Evil

Chapter 11/12: Jump to Conclusions Much?

(see chapter one for more detail)

        Hesitantly, Willow pushed open the door to Spike's crypt. Looking around, she didn't see the blonde vampire in the darkness so she called out to him.

        "Spike? Are you here?" Then more to herself, "Duh. Of course he's here. He's got a date with Buffy in an hour, and where else would he be?"

        "Red?" Spike's head appeared as he climbed the ladder to the upper part of his home. "Did Buffy send you over? Is she canceling? What's wrong?"

        "Jump to conclusion much? Buffy doesn't even know I'm here." Spike visibly relaxed and sat himself down in his comfy chair. He motioned to Willow and she took a seat on the couch.

        "So what brings you to this neck of the gloom?"

        "Well, Spike… I came to… chat. You know, we've never really talked that much and I think we should. We've got lots of stuff in common."

        Spike raised an eyebrow in question.

        "We were both evil at one time… and we're both Scoobies…"

Spike made a slight growly noise at the mention of the Scoobies. About two weeks after his return to Sunnydale, Buffy and Dawn had declared that he was an official member of the Scooby Gang. Dawn even gave him a Scooby-Doo key chain to make it official. He sighed loudly. "Go on…"

Willow stuttered for a minute but quickly recovered. "And we both like girls!" She smiled happily and waited for his reaction.

"Okay, you got me there." He stood up and headed to the mini kitchen he had set up in a corner. As he poured himself a glass of blood, he continued talking. "But I still don't think that's why you're here." He turned to face her. "You've got some kind of ulterior bloody motive, Red. Can't fool the Big Bad."

Willow wondered why he still insisted that he was the 'big bad' but she let it go, knowing it was probably futile to try to convince him otherwise.

"Okay, Dawn sent me. She said that she didn't see or sense you following her during patrol last night and she was worried." Willow explained.

"Bloody hell. She knew I was following her? I gotta work on my stalking skills. Can't even trail the 'Bit without getting caught." He drank the remaining blood in his glass and then left it in the sink.

"Anyway, she kinda likes that you're watching out for her so she thought that if I came over to check on you, instead of her, then you wouldn't know that she knew what you didn't want her to know… 'cause she didn't want you to know. You know?"

"Yea, I got it." He smiled, "Tell Nibblet I was busy last night, picking up a present for Big Sis." As he spoke he reached over to pull a small box out of his duster pocket. Willow leaned forward and upon opening the box he revealed a ring. A nice ring.

Willow's gasp was audible as she smacked him on the arm. "You're proposing?!"

Snapping the box closed he returned it to his pocket. "No! We've only been back together for a month. It's just an anniversary present. Christ, jump to conclusions much?" He mocked her.

Willow frowned. "Oh, so you're not proposing?"

"Why so glum? Do you think I should propose?" he questioned her.

"Ohh, it's just that… with the ring… and just today Buffy was saying… something completely different than anything relating to holy matrimony!" she tried to cover her mistake.

"What was Buffy saying? What are you talking about?" He was thoroughly confused.

"Nothing, nothing! You know me, I babble. Babble, babble, babble. That's me. A babble fest."

"Uhh…"

"Gotta go!"

And before he could say another word she had already hit the cemetery ground running.

"Well, that was just bloody weird…"


	12. The Big Question

Title: Forgiving Evil

Chapter 12/12: The Big Question

          A few hours later, Buffy and Spike laid peacefully on a blanket on the beach as they gazed up at the stars.

          "Spike?"

          "Yea, luv?" he looked down at her head on his chest.

          "I have a question for you…"

          "Oh, that reminds me! I've got something for you." She sighed, slightly relieved for the distraction. As they sat up he pulled a box out of his pocket and presented it to her.

          "You know, this is becoming a habit for you. I've gotten more gifts from you in the past two months than… ever."

          "Just open it, pet."

          She eyed him suspiciously as she opened the box and he found himself growing anxious… and quite nervous.

          "Oh, Spike! It's beautiful! Thank you." She attacked him with a hug and they both fell back to the blanket.

          "I'm glad you like it. Now, what were you going to say before I interrupted you?"

          She sat up again as her face turned serious. Spike became nervous again.

          "I was going to ask you…" she reached into her purse and pulled something out. As she turned to face him, he saw that it was his skull ring. He hadn't seen that since… well, since he had proposed to her.

          "Luv…?" Spike's eyes were wide.

          "…if you would marry me?"

          All he could do was nod as she slipped the skull ring onto his finger. She then picked up the box containing the ring he had just given her and held it out to him expectantly. Receiving the not-so-subtle clue, he took the box and gently slid the ring onto her finger.

          "Good. Now it's official." She said with a smile.

          As his brain began to finally register the shock, Spike picked up his new fiancée and spun her around, screaming at the top of his lungs. "I'm engaged to the most wonderful woman in the world!"

          She laughed as he yelled out to no one in particular. Finally he placed her back on the ground. "Buffy, luv, I think this is the best night of my life."

          With a sly smile on her face she leaned up and whispered in his ear. "If you're not sure yet, you will be by morning. Now take me home so you can put me to bed."

          "If you say so pet. After all, I'm never one to refuse a lady."

And they lived happily ever after… or as happy as you can be on a Hellmouth.

THE END 

Author's Note: So, there it is. The fluffy Spuffy ending! How was it? C'mon, you know you wanna review… you just gotta click that button… do it… do it…


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